Perception is everything.
I can’t go skiing because I don’t have any equipment, I explained to my new boyfriend Todd. If you know my now-husband, you can imagine how excited he was about this idea.
“My family has tons of equipment that you can borrow! My Mom will pack us a lunch, and we can take a quick drive up to the mountains of New Hampshire.”
I didn’t want to burst Todd’s excitement bubble but I had not skied since high-school, and I was a pizza-pie-snow-plowing skier. I had a fear of heights and too many bad memories of my sister falling off ski-lifts. As he chattered on about the fun we were going to have, my anxious brain went into overdrive. But I did not want to ruin my “adventurous new girlfriend imagine,” so I reluctantly agreed to go shop in his parent’s basement.
If you are analyzing my anxiety at this point, I should explain that my in-laws are part superhero. They all share some weird gene that produces an increased metabolism. No one in the family exercises to burn fat, they all need to burn off energy and ADD weight. Any sport they try, they excel at with the ease of an Olympic athlete. When I visit my mother-in-law in the spring, she will greet me with Linda Hamilton arms which are extra impressive at eighty-one.
“Oh Sami, I have been rearranging the attic,” she will gush. Mary Greenfield created at-home workouts before they were trendy.
Back to my story. I was greeted by my sister-in-law the former ballerina, Jodi. “Help yourself to any of my ski stuff Sami,” she graciously offered. I looked her up and down and knew I could only borrow her hat and earmuffs.
My mother-in-law steered me to the basement and went back to packing us a picnic lunch. Todd went off to the garage to wax our skis with his father, and I began sorting through the bins of clothing. To my delight, I slid into a pair of stylish black ski pants that fit me like a glove. I danced up the stairs and began shoop-shoop-shooping into the Greenfield’s kitchen. This was going to be SO MUCH FUN!
“Hey Sami,” Todd’s older brother Chuck greeted me. Chuck resembled Thor and had an intimidating presence to match. I confidently waved, feeling like Suzie Chapstick.
“Why are you wearing my ski pants?’’ he asked me innocently. I turned ten shades of red.
I shuffled into the driveway and found eager Todd adjusting the skis onto the roof of his Jetta. His mom was wrapping each handmade Rice Krispie treat, sandwich, and apple into a wax paper sleeve. His father was checking Todd's packing and suggesting new routes to take based on snowfall. I continued to remind myself that I was wearing his brother's pants.
Todd had the patience of a trained ski instructor and by the end of the day, I was snowplowing with grace and speed. We took fireside breaks to enjoy the picnic lunch, forgetting about the freezing temperatures. The apres-ski beers at the lodge bar tasted better than ever. Todd and I went skiing most weekends and began to appreciate the snow and proximity to the mountains. We planned ski-weekends with friends and family and the winter flew by! We shared so many laughs barreling down the slopes together. It didn't matter which ski pants I was wearing.
Published in Wicked Local Sudbury, January 14, 2020
